The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-07-23
Those Critics of Calyinism.

To the Editor of the Indianapolis Journal
Recently there appeared in the columns of the
Journal two well-worded structures unfriendly
to Calvlnism. One of them was testimonial
from Col. Ingersoll, intended to be comp-
mentary to Henry Ward Beecher The other
one copied from correspondence to the New
York Evening Post. Both of these critics ap-
pear to be the sons of preachers who were
Calvinistic in their type of faith. But in read
ing what they say on the dark subject that
shadows their boyhood, we could not escape the
conviction that probably with all the opportu-
nifty they had to know the facts of which they
speak. that they mistaken, and therefore in no
proper sense fit representatives of their strong
minded fathers, in respect to authority.
Now the writer hereof is not a Calvinist nor
were my ancestors of that way or thnkin e, but
having knowledge of facts respecting the Cal
whistle churches the Covenanters Seced ers
Unionists and Presbv terans, facts gained by
residence among this people for several years.
a love of fairness in statement regarding those
who differ, leads me to assert from what have
observed In a large community almost entirely
of this class of worshipers, that for sociability
generosity, probity and purity of habits. have
not known them excelled OF course they read
the Bible and believed it. They arranged their
work on Saturday that Sunday might be to
them model day. and it was such day Ard
of course there children there and they
were bright and happy their instructions
strong and pure There was no con-
fusing of ideas among them on strictly
moral questions, nor did they ever talk of
the tyranny of those church rules tn ey were
qured to conform to. If there was one gloomy,
moody victim of the well-enforced creed among
them, be concealed from view. never saw
a specimen, or heard of one In fact no neigh
borhood could have been more free fl ON faulty
results, religiousiy, than this was And taking
the entire Presbyterian Church, now. it is plainly
apparent that no organization exceeds it in the
diffusion of knowledge, i'll its charities and be-
nevolences, and whatever else contributes to the
we'll being of society and the elevation of the
masses. Now, then, the question very naturally
comes before us, how could this bad Calyinistic
tree bear such excellent fruit2 But these recall
citrant OF pious New Er gland fathers these
critics of Calvlnsm. never came under the gen.
e-ous influences of the family religion, and to-day
they know. or seem to know. much more about
Volney than they do about Jesus of Nazareth.
That faults are likely to exist in any effort to
formulate a religious creed reasonable man
will deny But whether these critics ara quail
fed exponents of any view taken by Christians
We know they not And what about their
systematic system that leaves God out
entirely; that knows law but necessity;
that recognizes no moral responsibility whatev-
er; that has no hopes at all beyond the grave?
In n few words, 1t Is simply stupendous fault
with apparent redeeming virtue. Six years
residence among the disciples of Paine Volney,
and Noltaire furnished me good opportunity to
know, but furnished nothing in the way of vir-
tue and elevation of character such as l had
known among my Calvinistic acquaintances in
western ennsyvania forty years ago. Indeed,
the silly talk Of the Freethinkers from the plat
form of their soulless system, with the gush and
bosh of their literary efforts, is much more pre-
tentlous than solid &. Il.